The decision was issued by Minister of Agriculture Dr Fuad bin Jaafar Al Sajwani, on October 21.

The decision also said fisherman can use Dawabi or Jarajeer only from a distance of at least 12 miles from the beach, where the minimum depth of the water is at least 50 metres.

“The cages should be made of environment-friendly material, which do not cause any damage to aquamarine life in Oman. All these fish traps should have small holes (at least 10 centimetres wide) so that small fish can escape through them,” the ministerial decision said.

The Ministry also specified the number of traditional fish traps to be allowed every year by ships and boats. “While the traditional boats have a limit of 40, traditional ships will be allowed 75 per boat, coastal ships 75 per ship and for commercial ships it is 100 per ship,” the official directive pointed out.

It is learnt that the ministry will continue to monitor strict implementation and compliance with existing legislations concerning the fishing profession. The ministry is also developing new laws, legislations and regulations to ensure promotion of environmental sustainability and protection of living aquatic resources.

Welcoming the decision, a fisherman said: “The blue coastal habitat hides some of marine life’s biggest secrets in Oman so it is important to protect them.”